Saturday, August 20, 2011

unheard revolutionaries...

 A few short weeks ago I had the opportunity to interview one of the most vivacious entrepreneurs of our program. She is currently in the textile industry and produces all types of high quality garments. My reaction to this was pleasantly awe-inspiring. I had just sat through 33 different interviews, where we posed the same four questions and the answers quickly grew to be indistinctive.
It all begin with the first answer to our first question:  Who are you? Every single time I have asked an individual this question or been posed it myself my immediate inclination is to share my name, age etc. But upon reflection this question does really encompass a lot more.  And Clorene Blaise, this highly distinguishable entrepreneur, seemed in tune with the inquiry, who she was, who she wants to be, her very essence .
Instead of simply telling me her name, she recounted the names of those who came before her, those who surround her, those who inspire her. Clorene comes from Cite Soleil, international renown for its violence. Clorene told me of Cite Soleil artists, entrepreneur, trail blazers, revolutionaries.

When asked how many people she employed and how she views job creation with in the country. Her response illuminated my inner most desire for the country of Haiti. The people she employs are Haiti’s future. She sees her small business growing exponentially in the next few years and her workers will make sure this dream is a reality. These people will have an improve standard of living,
prioritize education, walk taller, and be filled with dignity.
She spoke of how she began her textile company.  An industry who is not locally known for its thriving capacities but for a fall back option for pregnant teenage women disowned by their families. Clorene, a world changer, plans to revolutionize the textile industry, it will not only be a place where desolate woman will slave as factory worker in big foreign owned factories, but a locally owned enterprise primarily managed  by local Haitian women  which aims to enforce strength,hope, dignity, and solidarity.